Greetings!  I'm Meredith Florkey, a Nature-Based Educator and homesteader in Dayton, Ohio.  I've been working in early childhood education field for seventeen years and shifted to nature-based education twelve years ago-I'll never leave!  My proudest moments have been founding two nature preschools in the Dayton area. This is followed closely by helping hundreds of public schools, other nature-based programs, and educators from around the state deepen their own connection to nature and make time and space for their students to experience the wonder and awe of our natural world.

​

It is an exciting time to work in the intersection of early childhood education, environmental work, and agriculture.  As adults, we have the power and responsibility to make sure children are able to benefit from time spent outdoors learning and playing.

​

Ohio Naturally's mission is to create spaces of belonging for educators, children and families in alignment with our natural world where learning and growth are supported and celebrated.

​

I create educator workshops, events, and experiences to help support this work. To accomplish this work I spend a great deal of time in building coalitions, collaboratives and advocate with stakeholders to support this work. You can also find me at Wildflower Child & Family Center, our sister school, where I am the Weaver (otherwise known as Director).

​

Our long-term vision is to change the way that early childhood education and care function in the Miami Valley, by co-creating quality nature-based child care centers and programs while serving as a hub for Ohio educators to connect, reflect, learn and play.  

 

Values

Belonging

Growth

Our Natural World

​

​

What is this strange font?  Dyslexie is a font that helps dyslexic folks be able to read text clearly!